MADISONVILLE, Ky. (4/30/13) – Officers from the Madisonville Police Department (MPD) hosted a Crisis Prevention and Response Seminar at Madisonville Community College (MCC) this past Friday afternoon in the Quad Room at the Brown Badgett, Sr. Energy and Advanced Technology Center Building on the North Campus.

This was one of many seminars MPD has been hosting for large organizations in the community to increase awareness and knowledge of proper procedures to handle armed and dangerous and/or mentally unstable adults who intend to do harm. The seminar was addressed to the faculty and staff at MCC, as they’re ultimately the leaders of the students as a whole group and need to be the first educated on proper safety procedures to follow in a crisis situation.

The idea for implementing the knowledge and awareness in the form of these seminars was spawned from the tragic reality of today’s unstable and dangerous members of society who are proving all too prevalent a group of individuals in our communities. School shootings, government building bombings, and terrorist attacks on organizations right here in America have become such a common headline in the media because they’re actually happening more often than in the past.

The MPD is working to ensure that the community is aware and prepared to act with appropriate response, so that everyone is safe in the event that any mass attack on a group of people here takes place. No one is speculating that the same tragedy will strike any organization or group of people here as has other towns or cities in the U.S. over the past 10-15 years, however as Lt. Robert Carter exclaimed throughout Friday’s two hour seminar at MCC, “It’s 2013! It can happen! And we are coming!”

MPD officers Chief Wade Williams, Lt. Jason Lutz, Maj. Chris Taylor and Lt. Carter went over statistics of attacks, steps to take in a crisis situation, crowd control, proper response, profile evaluations on the attackers in specific incidences, and provided the group with essential knowledge and awareness on how to react if someone threatening came into their building or classroom or even appeared to be suspicious in their motives or upon entering a facility. They provided video and slideshow, and each officer addressed the group with his own lessons in crisis response. The group was so active in the training that the schedule for the class ran about thirty minutes over for a question and answer session.

Major Taylor educated the group on mental health aspects of the unstable individuals who typically commit these violent acts of rage and mass destruction and/or homicides and often suicides.

“Trust your gut instincts,” instructed Lt. Carter, on when to follow a notion of suspicion when you see someone or some action that appears to be inconsistent with a group or out of the ordinary. “Always call 911. If the lines are busy. Keep calling. We would rather have the lines flooded with information than for no one to call at all because they think they may be overreacting. If you have to ask yourself if it’s suspicious then it probably is.” Carter continued.

Lt. Lutz gave input on statistics of incidents in the U.S. surrounding some of the most notorious tragedies and their assailants.

Chief Williams included, “Every building and every situation will have variable factors that will ultimately determine the response, but overall there are appropriate steps to take in response to these situations in general. We want our community to be prepared.”

Following the question and answer session, the group discussed some of the gun control laws in the state, specifically on school properties, and it was made clear that there is absolutely no permission of firearms on school properties or anywhere else there are signs posted banning the carrying of weapons, concealed or open.

If you or your affiliated organization or office is interested in having MPD host a Crisis Prevention and Response seminar, contact MPD at (270) 821-1720. This is also the number to contact in case of any emergency or crisis situation if you are not able to call 911. It is advised that you save “911” as well as any other emergency contact numbers in the speed dial of your phone.